Deciding what to do with my 2023 Denali

[BKraft]

My trust of this process is minimal at best. My understanding is that the engines are fine until they are not. I personally know 3 folks that have had their engines fail and there was no prior symptoms before failure

That’s sort of true for any catastrophic engine failure caused by oil/bearings. It’s while I’ve always scratched my head at why most vehicles have water temp gauges but only an oil pressure light. I’d rather have it the other way around.

Anyway, I’m sort of in the same boat. I just bought a used 2021 with 25k miles on it. Of course, I got a deal and rolled some decent equity on it, so if I wanted to sell, I wouldn’t lose anything but the equity I rolled. Maybe even still keep some…. But I won’t sell.

In your situation, your fear of a failure while towing a boat is valid and towing is going to put a higher load on the engine/drivetrain.

That said, do the inspection. Change to the 0w40.

If you are worried about things, there is something you can do without just waiting for the engine to blow. Send an oil sample to Blackstone or one of the analysis places. Let them analyze your oil and see if they detect any signs of breakdown. That will give you possibly give you advance notice of a pending failure before something just happens.

 

[steiny93]

So my 2023 Denali is on the dreaded "engine recall list".. Sigh. The dealer told me that I would need to bring it in for an "inspection". Apparently if it passes the inspection I would get an oil change to the different viscosity oil and a new oil cap and sent on my way.. again sigh.. I paid $93K for this rig and have only put 9,500 miles on it in 18 months because I still drive my '03 suburban most days trying to finish it off (but it wont die). Obviously trying to sell my 2023 will be a huge bath as given the recall no one would want the rig. Luckily I am not in a financial position that this is a massive problem for me, but I also don't want to take a huge bath on it. I am considering trading it in or selling it. the news on this seems to show that there are 28,000 incidents out of 877,000 rigs so that is only 3%. Not bad odds I guess... Just looking for any and all advice on my situation. Thanks

what problem are you trying to solve?

peace of mind? mitigating a financial loss?

 

[301Bobbo]

So my 2023 Denali is on the dreaded "engine recall list".. Sigh. The dealer told me that I would need to bring it in for an "inspection". Apparently if it passes the inspection I would get an oil change to the different viscosity oil and a new oil cap and sent on my way.. again sigh.. I paid $93K for this rig and have only put 9,500 miles on it in 18 months because I still drive my '03 suburban most days trying to finish it off (but it wont die). Obviously trying to sell my 2023 will be a huge bath as given the recall no one would want the rig. Luckily I am not in a financial position that this is a massive problem for me, but I also don't want to take a huge bath on it. I am considering trading it in or selling it. the news on this seems to show that there are 28,000 incidents out of 877,000 rigs so that is only 3%. Not bad odds I guess... Just looking for any and all advice on my situation. Thanks

Simple: Drive to a vacation in Tiajuana and park downtown; accidently leave your keys in the ignition and taxi back to the hotel. Have a nice flight home after you get the stolen car police report. Toyota and Hundai and Kia owners might do the same.
Lake Speed Jr's YT channel explains this oil change nonsense.

 

[NHNorthWoods]

This is a sucky situation for all of us. I have a 22 with 32000 on it, so I'm out of warranty. I also don't have much faith in their "inspection". I guess I'll have to get it checked and see where to go from there.

 

[cornicekurt]

So my 2023 Denali is on the dreaded "engine recall list".. Sigh. The dealer told me that I would need to bring it in for an "inspection". Apparently if it passes the inspection I would get an oil change to the different viscosity oil and a new oil cap and sent on my way.. again sigh.. I paid $93K for this rig and have only put 9,500 miles on it in 18 months because I still drive my '03 suburban most days trying to finish it off (but it wont die). Obviously trying to sell my 2023 will be a huge bath as given the recall no one would want the rig. Luckily I am not in a financial position that this is a massive problem for me, but I also don't want to take a huge bath on it. I am considering trading it in or selling it. the news on this seems to show that there are 28,000 incidents out of 877,000 rigs so that is only 3%. Not bad odds I guess... Just looking for any and all advice on my situation. Thanks

Same boat. What’s it worth now? These failures are happening at different mileage points. Who’s babysitting the inspection? Who set the inspection criteria? These things are engineered to run on 0w20 oil. Manual clearly states that running any other weight oil will void your factory warranty. Suddenly a new oil cap with the new weight oil marked on it resolves a potential engine failure? Reminds me of the horror stories of used car dealers dumping sawdust into the oil reservoir to quiet down the knocking until you got it home. They’re going to HAVE to extend the warranty out to 150k. MINIMUM! Vehicles today run strong well into the 200’s. I’ll be damned if I’m paying 22k to have an engine swap at 100k because they forced the engine to survive that long just to wash their hands of it. This is going to get ugly.

 

[cornicekurt]

This is a sucky situation for all of us. I have a 22 with 32000 on it, so I'm out of warranty. I also don't have much faith in their "inspection". I guess I'll have to get it checked and see where to go from there.

Who can we possibly sell them to?

 

[LegalBrief]

Guys.. get them inspected, you will get a 150k/10yr special warranty… for free (even if your factory warranty is up) then drive the beast

Recall is not a warranty based topic

 

[KMeloney]

This is a sucky situation for all of us. I have a 22 with 32000 on it, so I'm out of warranty. I also don't have much faith in their "inspection". I guess I'll have to get it checked and see where to go from there.

With a safety recall out on trucks from '21-'24, I can't imagine that it matters that your '22 is out-of-warranty. I'd imagine that their liability is such that they've got to either determine that your engine is ok, or replace it.

 

[acesttz]

I just left the dealer this morning. FWIW the head service writer and I have been friends for 15 years.

He said they have no criteria written or otherwise for the inspection. They assume that it will be to inspect the main bearings and connecting rods, but they have not received anything from GM telling them what to look for.

Currently, their wait time for engines is 8 weeks. I expect this time to increase as more are placed in line for replacement.

 

[Jocko PDX]

Kind of sick to my stomach. I bought a 2003 suburban 22 years ago and it ran like a rock star so I thought I should reward GM buy being brand loyal and getting a new one.. sigh I guess I should have just leased it so I could give it back if it fails, but I am the kid of car owner that likes to take excellent care of my vehicles to get a very long life out of them. I should have known better. That is on me I guess

 

[Jocko PDX]

what problem are you trying to solve?

peace of mind? mitigating a financial loss?

All of the above.. I really can't be comfortable towing a large ocean boat through the Oregon coast range 25 time a year on steep and windy roads with limited to no shoulder with this issue going on. And as far as mitigating a financial loss? Yes of course it would suck to have it fail when out of warranty and have to cough up a pile of cash to fix it. Also I am not at all thrilled about having the motor torn out of my practically brand new $95K rig..

 

[steiny93]

All of the above.. I really can't be comfortable towing a large ocean boat through the Oregon coast range 25 time a year on steep and windy roads with limited to no shoulder with this issue going on. And as far as mitigating a financial loss? Yes of course it would suck to have it fail when out of warranty and have to cough up a pile of cash to fix it. Also I am not at all thrilled about having the motor torn out of my practically brand new $95K rig..

peace of mind you cannot change; known issue without a certain path to mitigate
the financial part you can address to a degree via selling before warranty expire or go extended warranty

 

[Eighthtry]

Great topic. It is amazing to me that we even have to discuss this. New engine, period. Being the proud owner of a 2023 GMC Yukon Denali XL with 28,000 miles, and just having waved goodby to a 2011 GMC Yukon Denali XL with 203,000 miles, I have mixed feelings. Should I have sold the 2011 to buy the 2023? The 2023 was bought as a road car. Air suspension and all. The 2011 was a partial road car until I retired and put it road tripping two or three weeks at a time.

We sold the 2011 because I did not want to be stuck in Cut Bank, MT with a major repair. Engine used zero oil. Transmission shifted as new. AWD was perfect. Never had any problems, nothing leaked, but I knew that things should be expected at that age. It was time for things to start breaking.

So, what to do? Stuck in Cut Bank MT with a major repair is a serious problem, starting with finding a GM dealer. Replacing an engine, once I had it towed to the found GMC dealer somewhere, is a major inconvenience. In other words, I will be waiting 2 weeks or more for the replacement of a motor.

From what I read the 2023 problem is likely universal. Some will surface early. Some late. Maybe some never. But I think there is a definite risk that it is universal.

I think I go to the dealer, find the deal on the new one, then see what happens. Since I retired money is not that important only because I am spending nowhere near what I was when working, but I will be losing my ass on the Yukon regardless. So if I feel the deal is fair, then I will pull the trigger for a 2025. Since it is her car, the wife is now thinking about it.

What else would I buy anyway? My Suburbans and Yukons have all been fabulous high mileage vehicles. Plus they ride and handle very well, and are damn comfortable on long trips. I will not buy an underpowered turbo charged V6 anyway, and the Wagoneers cannot get away from a repair shop.

Probably only get $1,500 on the inevitible class action if we are lucky, because the lawyers will need to be paid.

I love that the solution is thicker oil. Why do they maintain the 0 on the 0/40. I would think the thicker bottom number is more important than the upper number.

Does anyone know if the check engine light should be illuminated on that code?

One other option is to find a reputable engine builder. I foresee enough in loss that an aftermarket solution could make sense. It is a bottom end only rebuild. Plus you get rid of the V4/V8 "feature", which will only cost you $250. That is about all one will save in gas over the life of the Yukon anyway. What do you think about this option?

 

[DuraYuk]

Great topic. It is amazing to me that we even have to discuss this. New engine, period. Being the proud owner of a 2023 GMC Yukon Denali XL with 28,000 miles, and just having waved goodby to a 2011 GMC Yukon Denali XL with 203,000 miles, I have mixed feelings. Should I have sold the 2011 to buy the 2023? The 2023 was bought as a road car. Air suspension and all. The 2011 was a partial road car until I retired and put it road tripping two or three weeks at a time.

We sold the 2011 because I did not want to be stuck in Cut Bank, MT with a major repair. Engine used zero oil. Transmission shifted as new. AWD was perfect. Never had any problems, nothing leaked, but I knew that things should be expected at that age. It was time for things to start breaking.

So, what to do? Stuck in Cut Bank MT with a major repair is a serious problem, starting with finding a GM dealer. Replacing an engine, once I had it towed to the found GMC dealer somewhere, is a major inconvenience. In other words, I will be waiting 2 weeks or more for the replacement of a motor.

From what I read the 2023 problem is likely universal. Some will surface early. Some late. Maybe some never. But I think there is a definite risk that it is universal.

I think I go to the dealer, find the deal on the new one, then see what happens. Since I retired money is not that important only because I am spending nowhere near what I was when working, but I will be losing my ass on the Yukon regardless. So if I feel the deal is fair, then I will pull the trigger for a 2025. Since it is her car, the wife is now thinking about it.

What else would I buy anyway? My Suburbans and Yukons have all been fabulous high mileage vehicles. Plus they ride and handle very well, and are damn comfortable on long trips. I will not buy an underpowered turbo charged V6 anyway, and the Wagoneers cannot get away from a repair shop.

Probably only get $1,500 on the inevitible class action if we are lucky, because the lawyers will need to be paid.

I love that the solution is thicker oil. Why do they maintain the 0 on the 0/40. I would think the thicker bottom number is more important than the upper number.

Does anyone know if the check engine light should be illuminated on that code?

One other option is to find a reputable engine builder. I foresee enough in loss that an aftermarket solution could make sense. It is a bottom end only rebuild. Plus you get rid of the V4/V8 "feature", which will only cost you $250. That is about all one will save in gas over the life of the Yukon anyway. What do you think about this option?

This whole thing has been blown so out of proportion on this forum it's honestly amusing.

This do not have a universal fail rate of 100%. It's like less than 5% . You guys are really making something out of nothing and ruining your own ownership experience.

Just look at the 90 page thread in the engine discussion. The value will not be diminished by any significant amount. This will be forgotten just as Toyota tundra engine recall has been forgotten.

People want these vehicles. And the company stands behind them. It's less a problem then if it were a hidden issue. Relax. Stay informed but don't clutch pearls for nothing.

 

[Jocko PDX]

I will add this. I do love my Yukon Denali. It is a very nice vehicle and drives like a dream. So as long as it does not have an engine failure, or have to have the engine preemptively removed, I will be very happy with it.

 

[LegalBrief]

Great topic. It is amazing to me that we even have to discuss this. New engine, period. Being the proud owner of a 2023 GMC Yukon Denali XL with 28,000 miles, and just having waved goodby to a 2011 GMC Yukon Denali XL with 203,000 miles, I have mixed feelings. Should I have sold the 2011 to buy the 2023? The 2023 was bought as a road car. Air suspension and all. The 2011 was a partial road car until I retired and put it road tripping two or three weeks at a time.

We sold the 2011 because I did not want to be stuck in Cut Bank, MT with a major repair. Engine used zero oil. Transmission shifted as new. AWD was perfect. Never had any problems, nothing leaked, but I knew that things should be expected at that age. It was time for things to start breaking.

So, what to do? Stuck in Cut Bank MT with a major repair is a serious problem, starting with finding a GM dealer. Replacing an engine, once I had it towed to the found GMC dealer somewhere, is a major inconvenience. In other words, I will be waiting 2 weeks or more for the replacement of a motor.

From what I read the 2023 problem is likely universal. Some will surface early. Some late. Maybe some never. But I think there is a definite risk that it is universal.

I think I go to the dealer, find the deal on the new one, then see what happens. Since I retired money is not that important only because I am spending nowhere near what I was when working, but I will be losing my ass on the Yukon regardless. So if I feel the deal is fair, then I will pull the trigger for a 2025. Since it is her car, the wife is now thinking about it.

What else would I buy anyway? My Suburbans and Yukons have all been fabulous high mileage vehicles. Plus they ride and handle very well, and are damn comfortable on long trips. I will not buy an underpowered turbo charged V6 anyway, and the Wagoneers cannot get away from a repair shop.

Probably only get $1,500 on the inevitible class action if we are lucky, because the lawyers will need to be paid.

I love that the solution is thicker oil. Why do they maintain the 0 on the 0/40. I would think the thicker bottom number is more important than the upper number.

Does anyone know if the check engine light should be illuminated on that code?

One other option is to find a reputable engine builder. I foresee enough in loss that an aftermarket solution could make sense. It is a bottom end only rebuild. Plus you get rid of the V4/V8 "feature", which will only cost you $250. That is about all one will save in gas over the life of the Yukon anyway. What do you think about this option?

The 2025 engine has redesigned/different parts and oil jacket. If you trade in for 2025 (if you can find one), in theory you have no worries. I will tell you that my 2025 has been exceptional so far.

 

[cornicekurt]

This is a sucky situation for all of us. I have a 22 with 32000 on it, so I'm out of warranty. I also don't have much faith in their "inspection". I guess I'll have to get it checked and see where to go from there.

I’m thinking that when it’s due for its next oil change I’m going to go to an independent oil change shop and pay them to drain a pint or so out of it so I can send it off for an independent oil analysis.

 

[LegalBrief]

@cornicekurt im confused, a recall doesn’t care about your current warranty status. It is a federally mandated compliance action, after the recall inspection you will get a special engine warranty for 10/150k… that basically insures you 128k miles of no cost worry.

 

[cornicekurt]

@cornicekurt im confused, a recall doesn’t care about your current warranty status. It is a federally mandated compliance action, after the recall inspection you will get a special engine warranty for 10/150k… that basically insures you 128k miles of no cost worry.

On an 85 thousand dollar car. What happens when they all crap out at or around 150? Junk yard? Maybe mines still alive and I wanna trade it in? I’ve got a vehicle I paid less than a quarter the price of this nightmare that’s running strong at 210k. These motors are going to make this vehicle get avoided like the plague.

 

[LegalBrief]

@cornicekurt all will be fine, new engines and warranty will make them a desired commodity. What will get them is dated styling and technology. In fact at around 7 years old they may be pretty desirable to the 2nd or 3rd buyer as they will have “assurance”